Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Colonial Office.
Date:
[1957]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    74/96 (page 64)
    The Officer-in-Charge of the Stanley Station visited Port Lockroy during the 1955-56 summer to overhaul the equipment. Routine recordings were made throughout 1956, except during the month of September, when the station experienced a serious power failure. The station acted as control for the Antarctic radio net and also maintained regular schedules with the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. A new store/boat shed was built during the 1956—57 summer months, and an electric pump installed and pipe-line laid for pumping fuel oil from the landing beach to a storage tank alongside the generator shed. A hydrographic survey party from H.M.S. Protector were landed in November and a prototype portable hut erected to accommodate them. They worked from Port Lockroy southwards to the Lemaire Channel and westwards to the Joubin Islands. They also circum¬ navigated Anvers Island and visited the Danco Coast station. Members of the various F.I.D.S. bases helped them with their work and they in turn rendered much valuable assistance to the F.I.D.S. field parties. The personnel at Deception Island assisted the Aerial Survey Expedition during the 1955-56 summer and, in addition to their full meteorological programme, carried out geomorphological studies over the Island. Hope Bay had a disappointing sledging season because of the poor sea ice conditions which prevailed throughout the year in the Prince Gustav Channel. Some topographical survey was completed, but journeys were mainly for the purpose of laying food depots for the use of 1957 parties. A new garage was built and a tractor supplied for hauling stores and seals from the beach to the base hut. Numerous journeys were made to and from View Point and much time spent during the early part of the year sledging the new hut from where it was landed to View Point and erecting it there. The hut was completed by 31st May and occupied continuously from that date. The Medical Officer continued his sleep-rhythm work, and commenced preliminary experiments making routine blood eosinophil counts of personnel under various working and living conditions. The geophysical programme planned for the Argentine Islands had to be curtailed because of staff shortages, but daily radio sonde ascents continued throughout the year. The whole of the station buildings were painted during the year and a new jetty was built. The large new base hut at Admiralty Bay was ready for occupation by June and was reported to be most comfortable and adequate for all needs. Signy Island made excellent progress during the year with the topographical and geological survey of the South Orkney Islands. Extensive bird ringing and more detailed ornithological studies were carried out, and Weddell seal pup skins collected and preserved for sending to the United Kingdom to assess their value as fur. During 1956 the field parties on Anvers Island concentrated on the west and south coasts and a very satisfactory year’s work